Spanish Island Residents Allowed Return as Volcano Remains Stable

    2011-10-19 22:35:23     Xinhua       Web Editor: Guo

Residents of the village of La Restinga on the island of el Hierro have been allowed to make a brief return to their homes Wednesday, according to the regional authority of the Canary Islands. The inhabitants were evacuated last Thursday at the start of a volcanic eruption off the shore of the most westerly of the Spanish controlled Canary Islands. While they are not allowed to stay in their homes, the residents have been allowed to go back in order to collect any necessary items and carry out necessary tasks around their residences. The eruption off the coast of el Hierro has caused a huge stain of sulphur to color the sea a bright green and pieces of pumice stone have also been seen floating in the water after being expelled from an underwater crater off the shore of the island. Residents had hoped to return home on Wednesday, but were not allowed to do so because of the strong smell of sulphur in the air, which although not a threat to health, was likely to cause discomfort. Maria Jose Blanco, Director of the National Geographic Institute in the Canary Islands, informed on Thursday that recent seismic activity had been stable and that any tremors that had been detected were at a depth of 10 km. However, Blanco refused to make any long term predictions over the possible progression of the eruption, saying it was impossible to rule out any possible scenario. Blanco added that the sulphur in the region of the port of La Restinga was strong enough to make people's eyes water on Wednesday, but that the smell had disappeared Thursday and there were even fish swimming in the water. On Sunday Spanish government scientist Ramon Otriz, who is the co-ordinator of the scientific team, gave the first conclusions of the study, saying there would be four stages, which could eventually see "the creation of a small island from which a flow of lava could spread."